The ADA of Indiana celebrated its 80th birthday this year at the Indiana State Fair and there was a big unveiling inside the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion – a giant cheese birthday cake.  The artwork used over 1420 pounds of Indiana-produced cheese and was sculpted by only one of three cheese sculptors in the world, Sarah Kaufmann, aka, “the Cheese Lady.”

“The big 80 itself weighs 200 pounds. It's just a big symbol of how proud we are of Indiana Dairy Heritage and nutrition Education," said cheese artist Sarah Kaufman.  The American Dairy Association of Indiana and the state’s dairy farm families sponsor the sculpture.

Social Media was all-aflutter at this year’s fair.  The Indiana State Fair App was back debuting QR (Quick Response) codes that could be scanned by smartphones users, which would take them to different mobile pages that detailed discounts, daily highlights and other daily Fair information.  The app featured event listings, an interactive fair map, midway ride prices and locations of popular food vendors along with parking, restrooms and ATM’s, the app was downloaded over 6700 times to assist users at the Indiana State Fair.  The Indiana State Fair was also on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare and a Blog to read behind-the-scenes fair stories.  A remarkable feat, the Indiana State Fair was trending nationally in the top ten.  After the tragic accident, social media was used to keep people up-to-date on everything regarding the fair, concerts; it also was used to set up a Remembrance Fund for the families affected by the tragedy.  Please go to www.cicf.org to donate.

What is a Hoosier?  Ask any Indiana resident and they will say ‘that’s me’.  They might also tell you that a Hoosier has heart and soul and that they stand by one another and come together during times of turmoil.

The entire North American Midway Entertainment team wishes to express their heartfelt condolences to those who are hurting in Indiana from the tragic accident.  We are praying for their healing and keeping them in our hearts.

– Danny Huston, CEO North American Midway Entertainment.